Electric system.



F. M. SLOUGH.

ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1912.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

M zfnessea STATES; IPATTNT @lt li ltij FRANK M. SLOUGH, 0F ELYEIA, 01-110, ASSIGNORTO THE GARFORD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OE ELYRIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

ELECTRIC srs'rnra.

menace.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pater rte lNov. id, 1916;

Application filed June 19, 1912. Serial No. 704,505.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK M. SLOUGH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elyria,'in the county, of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention. relates toelectric'systems, and especially to systems adapted for use in isolated places or in places where the attendant is partially or totally unskilled in the art of managing such plants, For example,

in lighting systems adapted to be used at country residences or upon farms or other isolated places where there is no attendant,

or where those overseeing the operation of the plant are unskilled in the handling of such apparatus, I aim to make the operation of the plant automatic, so that the only attention required will be the supply-of fuel to the prime'movertand of such other attentions as are required to keep the apparatus in working order. I am aware that efforts have previously been made to accomplish this end, but so far as I am aware, these efforts have resulted in failure.

One of the efforts to which ll refer consists in providing a prime mover, a charging machine and a storage device. The connection of the charging machine to the storage d rice was controlled by mechanism which connected the storage device to the charging machine when the state of affairs in the storage device reached a predetermined condition, connecting it to the'charging means, the plan being to have the charging means start upon this current and set the prime mover into operation. One of the troubles experienced with this system which made its operation a failure, was that when the attendant had neglected to supply fuel to the prime mover, or to otherwise condition the charging system for operation, the engine refused to start, so that the system expended itself in a repeated futile effort to start an inoperative engine. Were the engine or other parts of the charging system out of operation, the same futile efiorts would result. In consequence of these efforts on the part of the storage battery, the latter was exhausted and frequently the system was where the attention should be regular. These defects were so serious, that the automatic system, has so far as I am aware, been used but little. 7

One of the objects of my invention is the provision of means for protecting a system of this character, meeting the exigencies described and making the automatic system a practical and commercial success. This I have accomplished in the form shown by providing means for disconnecting the storage dcvice from the charging system when it failsto operate properly: for example, when the engine will not start. I have illustrated in the drawing a convenient means for performing these functions and overcoming the obstacles met in the prior systerns.

Another objection to the system heretofore used for automatically controlling the operation of the translating devices as described has been the direct control of the circuit between the accumulator and the charging and starting means through delicate instruments. l'n power work the switches employed are necessarily strong and massive, requiring considerable effort to operate them. When they are operated by electromagnetic means, such means must be powerful and consequently the current for operating them must be of considerable magnitude. In fact, the current is of such a character that it cannot be successfully controlled by a delicate instrument in the practical operation of systems of this nature. Wherever in the previous systems such control has been eX- "its needle, so that I overcome this objection.

I also provide means for automatically disconnecting the accumulator from the.

charging system should the engine run out of fuel'or the charging system become 111- operative for other reasons during the charg- -ing period. By such means I prevent the useless expenditure of the energy in the accumulator which has been stored there during the preliminarypart of the charging Other objects of my invention and the in vention itself will be understood from a description of the embodiment illustrated in the drawing.

The figure illustrates an embodiment of my invention.

Referring now to the drawing and to the particular embodiments of my invention illustrated therein, at A is shown a dynamo electric machine, such as a direct current generator adapted to be operated as a motor when desired. This machine should be suitable for generating current for lighting and otheranalogoils purposesand for starting an engine, suchas a gasolene engine.

At B is shown a prime mover, such as any of the well-known forms of explosive engines. I have here illustrated a gasolene engine, which with the dynamo electric machine constitutes the generating plant or means for supplying energy to the accumulator. The units of the plant are connected together so that power may be transmitted from one to the other. I have illustrated a pair of pulleys and a beltfor performing these functions. The pulley a is fastened in any suitable manner to the shaft a of the dynamo machine; the pulley b is likewise fastened in any suitable manner to the shaft 7) of the engine, and a belt '0 is employed for connecting the two pulleys together and transmitting power between them.

At C I show an energy storing means, such as accumulators or storage batteries, consisting of a suitable number of cells electrically connected together. The dynamo electric machine is adapted, when connected to the battery C to charge the same up to a desired potential.

At D I show a circuit controller controlling the connection of the dynamo A to the battery C.

At E is shown an automatic circuit controller to control the connections of the battery and dynamo. I have here employed a voltmeter to perform this function, though any suitable device may be used. I

At F, G, H, K and L I show other circuit controllers whose functions will be best 15 and 16.

understood from the description of the op-- eration which follows. These circuit c0n trollers may consist of relays, H being. a slow acting relay. They cooperate with one anotherin furnishing, among other things,

a protecting means for the system to prevent waste of energy and destruction of parts when the generating plant is inoperative.

The relay H may consist of a slow acting relay whose time of action may be predetermined. In the form shown, I have employed an electrolytic cell or a series of cells in shunt with. the main winding 72. of the relay.

The magnet H will not be operated until the battery is charged, since the resistance of the battery will be low enough to shunt the windingh until such battery is charged to a predetermined degree.

At K is shown a fifth relay controlling the power circuit and at Ira sixth relay adapted to perform functions to be described.

My invention and its purposes will probably be better understood from a description of the operation of the form illustrated in the drawing. Assuming-that the system is in the condition illustrated in the drawing and the energy stored in the battery C is consumed, for example by the lamps 1 until the potential of the battery drops materially, the needle 2 of the voltmeter E will be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction and 12 of the switch Mconductor 13 to the positive pole of the battery C. The relay F will be energized, pulling up the armatures The armature 15 will close a switch at 9l5,.breaking the switch J at 89 and relieving the needle of the instrument E of the burden of carrying the current for F. This will complete a locking circuit through the relay F independent of the instrument E as follows :positive pole of batteryC13-12 11 1O F -.9 1517Z and h in parallel-48% to negative pole of battery. The armature16 will energize the relay L and the relay D as follows :positive pole of battery202l- D-22--Z23-1916'24 to the negative pole of battery. The relay L is not newated, since the current will be insuiiicient to pull up the armature 25. The relay D, however, 'will attract its armature 26, closing a switch 2627 and connecting the battery with the dynamo A. Current will then flow from the positive pole of the battery20 27A28 29winding Z of the relay L302726 to the negative pole of battery. It will be seen that under this condition the current flowing through the windings Z and Z of the relay L will be in opposite directions, so that their action will be differential and the relay will remain unactuated. The battery will also supply current through the conductors 31 and 32 to the ignition system 33 of the engine B. The current now starts the dynamo A, which operating as a motor, will through the pulleys and belts, start the gasolene engine B, which will in a little while begin to operate itself and to drive the motor, provided that the engine is in operative condition.

Suppose that the engine is not in working condition, being out of gasolene or inoperative for some other reason. It is one of the objects of my invention to furnish means for protecting the system under these conditions; otherwise the mechanism would continue to endeavor to start the engine until muchenergy was expended uselessly and perhaps the system was broken down. Should the engine fail to start up within a short period .of time, which is predetermined, and which may be set at any desired value, the relay H will be operated over the following circuit :positive pole of battery-13121110F9-l517h and I in parallel18-4the negative pole of battery. Current will be flowing through this circuit during the time when the dynamo is endeavoring to start the engine and in time the relay would be operated whether the dynamo was successful in starting the engine or not. Should, however, the engine not'be started before this relay is actuated, a circuit .will be completed as follows when the relay H pulls up the armature 40 and closes the switch 4041:*negative pole of batteryd226-273 0Z-25l3 44 et140"l5-g13positive pole of battery. The winding 9 will be energized, pulling up the armature 12, interrupting the circuit of the relay F at 11-12 and closing a switch 1247. The relay F being deenergized, will release its armatures 15 and 16, interrupting the circuit of the relay D and disconnecting the battery from the dynamo, thus preventing the dynamo doing useless work in endeavor-ing to start an inoperative engine. The armature- 16 Wlll drop back upon a contact l8, completing a circuit through the relay K as follows positive pole of battery13-l247-50 K-5l48'1624the negative pole of battery. The relay K will pull up its armature 52, interrupting the circuit of the lamps at 5253- and warning the attendant of the inoperative condition of the engine. When the winding h was energized, the armature 5a was pulled up, closing a locking circuit for the relay H through the winding h and the switch 54-55 as follows :-p0sitive pole of battery13g--45-565455-h-57 contacts 58 and 59 of the switch N-60-- 6-3-. 25-el--ne giii-3e pole of battery. This looks up the contacts of the relay and the system remains in this condition until the attendant operates the switch N. The attendant now adjusts the condition of the engine until it becomes operative and then operates the switch N which will interrupt I the circuit of the relay H, so that it will release its armatures, restoringthe system to normal with the switch 2-3 closed. The

. system will now operate to start the engine breaking the switch 25 l3 and preventing the operation of the relay G by the slow acting relay H when the same pulls up after the expiration of the predetermined period of time at the end of which it is set to operate. The dynamo now charges the storage battery until the same reaches a predetermined condition underwhich conditicn the circuit controller E will close the switch '2'61, whereupona circuit will be completed through the relay G as follows negative pole of battery1-52--6162 G13 to the positive pole of the battery. The relay G will be energized, pulling up the armature 12 and interrupting the circuit of the relay F. The relay K will not be actuated at this time, since the armature 16 willbe drawn up. As soon as the armatures of the magnet F leave their forward contacts 9 and 19, the circuits of the relays the battery from the dynamo. As soon as this is done, the potential of the battery which has been held up by the dynamo, immediately drops sufficiently to break the circuit of the relay G at 2- 61, restoring the relay G to normal. When the relay D lets go its armature, the ignition circuit of the engine will be interrupted and the engine will stop, so that the entire system will be restored to normal.

Should the generating plant stop during the charging, current will of course, cease to flow from the dynamo to the battery. On the contrary, current will flow in the opposite direction through the winding Z as previously described .in the starting of the Z, so that the armature 25 will drop back,

completing the circuit of the winding 9 of the relav G and through the contacts 40-41 of the relay H as previously described. The system will then be restored to normal, since the relay Gr will break the circuit of F and that-relay will open the circuit of F, D and L,

The needle of the instrument E will gradually retarn to its engagement With the contact 3, whereupon the'system will endeavor to reistart the engine. If the failure were due, to some condition which had been righted in the interim, the engine will be restarted but it otherwise, the dynamo will be out 01f and the alarm given after'the failure of the engine to re-start.

It will be apparent that any suitable forn of circuit controllers may be employed where I have shown the relays, that any suitable form of slow acting relay may be employed at H and that any convenient and eflicien-t form of circuit controller may be employed at E.

I have likewise shown the lamps used as a Warning means, though'it will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art that a bell, semaphore, or a lamp independent of the lighting circuit may be used. In fact, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that numerous and extensive departures from the form and details of the apparatus here shown may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, the same being herein shown solely for the purpose of clearly illustrating one specific embodiment thereof.

I claim I 1. In an electric system, an accumulator, a dynamo electric machine for charging said accumulator, a prime mover for actuating said dynamo electric machine to charge said accumulator, means acting automatically for connecting said accumulator to said dynamo electric machine when the voltage in said accumulator reaches a predetermined value, electro-magnetic means for disconnecting said accumulator from said dynamo electric machine, disabling means for said electromagnetic means and means to disable said disabling means when said prime InOXGl is in inoperative condition.

2. In an electric system, an accumulator, a dynamo electric machine for supplying energy to said accumulator, a prime mover for actuating said dynamo electric machine,

means acting automatically for connecting said dynamo electric machine to said accumulator when the condition of said accumulator reaches a predetermined state, means for disconnecting said accumulator and said dynamo electric machine, a slow acting relay controlling said disconnecting means,

said disconnecting means being inoperativev if the dynamo-electric machine is operative to supply energy to said accumulator.

3. In an electric system, an accumulator, means .for supplying energy to said accumudisconnecting means, and electromagnetic disabling means for said slow acting relay.

fl. In an electric system, an accumulator,

means for supplying energy to said accumulator to charge the same, a device responsive to the conditioii of said accumulator, time limited mechanism, means controlled by said device and said mechanism for automatically disconnecting said accumulator from said energy supplying means, and electromagnetic disabling means responsive to the flow of current from said energy supplying means to said accumulator to disable said automatic disconnecting means.

5. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, means for supplying energy to said accumulator to charge the same, a time limited element, means controlled by said time limited element for automatically disconnecting said energy supplying means from said accumulator, and strength of ourrent operated means for disabling said time locking device for said disconnecting means.

'7. In an electric system, an accumulator, means for supplying energy to said accumulator to charge the same, means for automatically disconnecting said accumulator from said energy supplying means should said energy supplying means be inoperative to supply energy to said accumulator, a locking device for said disconnecting means and means for releasing the locking device.

8. In an electric system, the combination of an' accumulator for the storage of electric energy, adynamo electric machine for charging said accumulator, a prime mover for actuating said dynamo electric machine, said dynamo electric machine adapted to start said prime mover, means for disconnecting said dynamo electric machine from said accumulator when the condition of the accumulator reaches a predetermined value, a relay-controlling said last named means, a locking circuit for locking said relay and means for releasing said relay,

9. In combination, an internal combustion engine, a dynamo electric machine for starting said engine, a circuit for said dynamo electric machine, an ignition circuit for said engine, an electrically restorable alarm device, a circuit therefor, means for automatically interrupting the circuit of said tromagnet.

dynamo electric machine and said ignition circuit and closing the circuit of said alarm device, and manually controlled automatic means for restoring said alarm device.-

10. In an electricsystem, the combination of an accumulator, means to automatically start the charging of the accumulator, means for giving a Warning signal should said,

starting means fail tostart the charging, and manually controlled automatic means for retiring said Warning signal and to reenergize said automatic starting means.

11. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, means for supplying energy to said accumulator to charge the same, electromagnetic means controlling the connection of said accumulator to said charging means, second electromagnetic means controlling said first electromagnetic means, a circuit for said second electromagnetic means adapted to be interrupted when said secondelectromagnetic means is operated and a locking circuit for said second electromagnetic means controlled thereby.

12. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, means for supplying energy to said accumulator to charge the same, an electromagnet controlling the connection of said accumulator and said charging means, a second electromagnet controlling said first electromagnet, a device responsive to the condition of saiol accumulator controlling said second electromaguet and a locking circuit for said second electromagnet controlled by said second elec- 13. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, means for charging said accumulator, electromagnetic means controlling the connection of said accumulator to said charging means, ajlocking circuit for said electromagnetic means controlled thereby and a device responsive to the condition of said accumulator controlling said electromagnet.

la. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, means for charging said accumulator, electromagnetic means controlling the connection of said accumulator to said charging means, a circuit for said electromagnetic means adapted to be interrupted by said electromagnetic means When the same is .energized, a locking circuit closed by said electromagnetic means when energized and a device responsive to the condition of said accumulator controlling said electromagnetic means,

15. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, a dynamo electric machine for charging said accumulator, a prime mover adapted to be started by said machine and when started to drive said machine to charge said accumulator, a signaling device for giving a Warning signal when said prime mover is in inoperative condition, electroit therefrom,

magnetic mechanism for operating said signaling device, and a switch under the control of the operator for electrically restoring said electromagnetic mechanism.

16. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, means for charging said accumulator, means contingent upon the condition of the charge in said accumulator for automatically connecting said charging means to saida'ccumulator and disconnecting a circuit controlled by said means for connecting said accumulator and said chargingmeans and electrically restorable mechanism controlled by the direction of flow of current in said circuit for automatically disconnecting said accumulator from said charging means, said mechanism conditioned to operate to effect said disconnection should the current in said circuit continue to flow from the accumulator to the charging means "after a predetermined period of time.

17 In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, a dynamo electric machine for charging said accumulator, a prime mover for actuating said machine, said machine adapted tostart said prime mover,

, electromagnetic means adapted to be actuated at the end of a predetermined period of time to disconnect said accumulator from said machine, should said machine fail to start said prime mover Within such period, and electrically restorable controlling means for said electromagnetic means.

18. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, a dynamo electric machine for charging said accumulator, a prime mover for driving said machine, said ma chine adapted to start said'prime mover, electrically restorable means for automatically disconnecting said machine from said accumulator, locking means for said disconnecting means and a switch for releasing said locking means.

19. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, means for charging said accumulator including a prime mover and a dynamo-electric machine adapted to be used as a motor to start said prime mover, a circuit for connecting said accumulator to said dynamo-electric machine to supply current to operate said dynamo-electric machine as a-motor, means for automatically disconnecting said accumulator and said charging means should said dynamo-electric machine fail to start said prime mover Within a predetermined period of time, automatic restoring means for. said automatic disconnecting means and a circuit under the control of the operator controlling said automatic restoring means.

20. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, meansfor charging said accumulator, means for automatically causing the connection of said accumulator to said charging means when the charge in the accumulator has reached a predetermined value and mechanism for maintaining such connection independent of said means.

' said charging means when the charge in -mined value and electro-magnetic means for the accumulator has reached a predetermaintaining such connection independent of said meter. r

22. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, a dynamo electric inachine for charging said accumulator, a prime mover for actuating said dynamo electric machine, said dynamo electric machine adapted to start said prime mover, means to automatically cause the restarting of said prime mover should said prime mover fail during the operation, means controlling the first named means rendering the same inoperative should the machine fail to re-start the prime mover, a signal operated should said machine fail to re-start the prime mover, electrically operated locking means for said signal to maintain it in operation,

a circuit for said electrically operated locking means and a switch in said circuit under the control of the operator, said switch controlling saidsig'nal and said automatic restarting means. a

23. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, means for supplying energy to said accumulator to charge thesame, a time-limited element, means controlled by said time-limited element for automatically disconnecting said energy supplying means from said accumulator andstrength of 'current operated means for preventing the operation of said automatic disconnecting means by said time-limited element.

24. The combination of a battery, a dynamo, an electric circuit including both, an engine adapted to drive said dynamo, said engine adapted to be started by said dynamo driving it when acting as a motor, a cut-out in said circuit adapted to open the circuit between said battery and said dynamo, an

electro-responsive device having a movable element adapted to occupy a certain position when the potential of said circuit falls .below a predetermined minimum, a contact element with which said movable device is adapted to contact when it occupies said certain position, a secondary electric circuit, one pole of which is connected to said movable element and the other pole to said con tact element whereby said secondary circuit is closed when said movable element occuples said certain position, a cut-out device.

adapted to cause the opening of the main cut-out by its opening, and a time-device adaptedto open said cut-out device after a predetermined interval of operation, said time-device being electrically governed by the closing of said secondary circuit.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses. FRANK M. SLOUGH.

Witnesses: EDGAR A. SPURR, F. O. RIGHEY. 

